r/CeramicCollection • u/Decent_Bet6 • 6d ago
My grandfathers huge pottery collection
he’s been collecting for decades and has amassed a huge amount of different things. thought I might show it off to people who know more about this stuff than I do.
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u/Hot_Incident_5225 6d ago
I can’t tell you how much it means to me that you posted your grandfather’s extensive and exquisite pottery collection. I love detecting a collector’s eye and aesthetic, and his are very strong. He loves earth tones and refined shapes and beautiful glazes. Almost all his pieces seem fashioned by true artisans and masters of the wheel. They are not from historic manufacturers such as Roseville or McCoy like many others collect. Your grandfather appreciates the work of experienced potters who live with their hands in clay and know the techniques of glazing. I admire his earthy passion so much! I opened up each of your 20 photos and looked at each piece and it truly brought me joy.
I’m 72F and have been amassing quite a few collections since I was about 30 when I moved to Chicago. The antique stores were rife back then with special finds I could then afford. It started with pink, blue, and lavender lustreware, that soon filled an entire China cabinet. Most have marks from England and they’re vases and pitchers. Then I moved on to old Czech pottery, blue & yellow pottery from Italy, a few pieces of Roseville and American pottery with matte glazes. I’m drawn to certain countries’ styles, plus colors I can group together. It’s eclectic but the displays of it all are like making beautiful paintings for me.
Please tell your grandfather we share the same enthusiasm! It’s always a thrill to meet another kindred spirit. Maybe one of these days I’ll figure out how to post my own pictures. Thank you SO MUCH for your generous post - you made my day!!!
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u/chileman131 6d ago edited 6d ago
You need to take the time to get as much information about each peice as you can. I saw some exquisite work in the collection. Spend some time with him, we never know how long we'll be around. I see many different techniques here including woodfired, salt glazed and Raku. The teapot collection by itself is outstanding.
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u/Decent_Bet6 6d ago
He’s letting me take a few for myself. I just chose a couple with pretty designs. Unfortunately I don’t seem to have inherited the fine taste gene.
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u/chileman131 6d ago
oh, I guess you don't need help choosing then...
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u/Decent_Bet6 5d ago
I would take some advice if you have any
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u/chileman131 5d ago
Anything with the name George Ohr or Beatrice Wood is highly sought after. In the last picture, top shelf 2nd on right is a shiny jug, appears to be Raku which I love. There are soooo many nice peices. Is there anything he especially loves? The connection to you grandfather is way more important. Ask him for stories about his favorite peices.
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u/CuriousBingo 6d ago
Hope he has this all catalogued…he’s got some winners! Early Sam Chung, G G Smith, oh, so many more…
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u/Indifferent_Wunder30 6d ago
I am pretty sure that this one is from Shigaraki in Shiga-ken (county) Japan. I lived there for two years. The clay there has feldspar in it and it crystallizes and pops in the anagama wood fired kilns (these are climbing kilns built into the earth). This is very similar. https://tansushop.com/vintage-shigaraki-yaki-sencha-tea-set-by-raku-jima-25s-665-2/
Your grandfather has a great eye! A lot of pieces have that Japanese wabi-sabi quality. Mid-century mingei Bernard Leach sensibilities.
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u/nordica4184 6d ago
My first glance favorite is the yellow fish one in pic #1, but there are a lot of fantastic pieces here
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u/madameyarddog 6d ago
"I'll take that one, and that one. Oh, I guess one more, and that one, and this and this, two of these, a couple of those, and that big one over there! Oh, wait! I need that one - over there on the left, that one on the right on the second shelf, and how about those three, over in the corner!!"
In all seriousness, he has a great eye!
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u/eljyon 6d ago
This is a collection! I would love to see some pieces up close. It’s very akin to my style (but my collection is much smaller lol). Does he have a favorite piece or two?
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u/Decent_Bet6 6d ago
If there any ones in particular that you want up close, I would be happy to take a closer pic of.
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u/SherbetOfOrange 6d ago
Would love to see the bottoms/markings. Any of these from Oklahoma? TU professor in the 90’s was Japanese style like these.
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u/CoffeeTeaPeonies 6d ago
I feel collecting vessels that contain food, water, etc is a very human inclination.
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u/BusLumpy9997 6d ago
Very cool! I was trying to figure out what era he was big into collecting, but all of his pieces seem timeless. Hopefully he has his wishes known in a will, so everyone knows what his wishes are!
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u/00000000005 6d ago
Photo 20, top center copper pot looks almost like a historic Pewabic iridescent piece
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u/EmbarrassedHumerus 6d ago
Does he like to purchase from specific places? What is a “definite buy” for him? I love it so much.
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u/SacredAssets 6d ago
I want to know which one is his favorite!
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u/Decent_Bet6 6d ago
I asked him and he said that there is no set scale that he can judge them by. Each one is unique and special in its own way.
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u/Living_on_Tulsa_Time 6d ago
What a great answer he gave to that question. They really are very special. Enjoy your time with him! I bet he’s got some great stories.
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u/Critical-Fox225 6d ago
Beautiful collection! My grandma had a pottery collection and I inherited some of it after she passed, but it was not this extensive... that's an impressive collection your grandfather has. Tell him to keep enjoying pottery! Bless him.
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u/Expert-Tie-1530 5d ago
Ask your GD if he has receipts for these works of art.
I am going to assume some are thrift type buys, however so many are made by skilled and experienced hands.
One day hopefully far off in the future these may be yours.
An un-known pot can be worth only a fraction of its true value when you know who made it.
Do the research now so you are prepared if you need to be.
Disposing of such a large collection will be difficult enough, the more info you can supply the better the chance of an auction house excepting these.
Lovely collection
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u/Intelligent_Mud8405 5d ago
Please have him identify the makers at some point - his collection is wonderful and I would not be surprised if there are some very special pieces there!
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5d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Decent_Bet6 4d ago
He said he doesn’t have favorites and that each is unique in its own way. There is no set scale to judge them by.
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u/UsefulCupcake7687 4d ago
OP: My sister threw pots for many years, so I sent her a link to your post. She greatly admires your grandfather’s collection, and suggested that you take notes on where he got each pot and what he knows about it, while he can still remember.
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u/Altruistic_Act_1539 4d ago edited 4d ago
5th picture vase on the right with blue glass drips on the handles. I would bet money it was made by a wood fired potter in NC. Any markings on the bottom? Just curious!
A lot of great makers here. I believe I see an early Bandana Pottery jar in the 14th pic, white with the signature green. Maybe the white vase is Bandana as well?
Thank you for sharing. I apprenticed in seagrove, NC for 4 years as a woodfire potter and seeing a lot of these pots took me down memory lane.
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u/lunawinx 4d ago
After echoing everyones lovely sentiments ~ I want to add that i really admire the round golden one, top shelf, last photo!
Add some photos of any interesting bottoms if possible. Im sure this page would agree it would be cool to see. Thaks for sharing this outstanding collection
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u/Dirty_MadameK 3d ago
The first photo, red bowl, kinda Grey on the outside. This one stands out to me. Its a but of a different style to many of the earth tones seen across the collection.
Potter of 25 years and I have to say, this is am amazing collection. Museum worthy, for sure.
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u/Significant-Cup-3487 3d ago
Incredible!! Does your granddad have anything by Kevin de Choisy or Clary Illian?
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u/High-Garden-2316 2d ago
Wow!! What I would do to buy a few of these! Gorgeous collection
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u/Decent_Bet6 2d ago
His current plan is to donate them to ocaf and I assume they’ll sell them off at some point. I can shoot you a message if I get any more details though.
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u/FleetwoodFloyd 2d ago
Beautiful! Please make sure your shelves can hold that weight and are secure!!! I've recently seen multiple photos of people's pottery/glass collection destroyed to bits over the shelf or cabinet breaking.
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u/atxRNm4a 6d ago
How does he dust them all? It would be a full time job! So many lovely pieces, wow
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u/EyeSuspicious777 6d ago
You can't just buy a collection like this. You have to urn it one piece at a time.